LIBERTYVILLE, ILLINOIS – An early afternoon thunderstorm threw a bit of a curveball to the teams who had qualified for the U13 and U14 Girls finals at the Eclipse Select Challenge Cup here Sunday, but the event still served to identify some of the upcoming team and individual talent for these age groups.

The Elite Clubs National League matches, scheduled for earlier in the day Sunday, were able to be completed before the bad weather moved in, finishing the 40-club venture’s opening weekend.

Sting Dallas held a 2-0 lead over Carmel United in the U13 Final, while the U14 version of the greater Indianapolis area club was in a 1st half scoreless deadlock with Sockers FC. No champions will be crowned for the event. The Carmel-Sockers match was played mostly at midfield before lightning and thunder began, but the rain delay did allow for a sparkling version of The Jackson Five classic “ABC-123” from the Carmel girls as they waited out the storm in the back of a van next to the fields. The Sockers’ team appeared more content to listen to something more modern on their van’s sound system.

In an ECNL U17 matchup played at noon, Arizona State Cup champions SC del Sol rode a strong 2nd half with the wind at its back to hand Birmingham United its first loss of the weekend.

Birmingham United’s Laura Lee Smith put her team up early when she collected an attempted clearance just outside the area and let fly with a shot that rode the jetstream and sailed just under the crossbar for a goal. Birmingham continued to try and attack with Annalika Steyn at the point, but SC del Sol managed to withstand the efforts, with Karen Kierstead putting in some good tackles as well as distributing accurately.

Steyn came close to doubling Birmingham’s lead with a good shot, but SC del Sol goalkeeper Taylor Rice was on hand to make the save. SC del Sol began to get forward a little more effectively as the half went on, but Birmingham defender Conner McKie was making some quick steps to the ball and showing good feet once she won possession. Back the other way, BUSA’s Janae Simpson made a good run down the left and hit a cross, but Rice was there to grab it and end the threat.

Saira Khan was playing good defense for SC del Sol, and started a move for the Arizonans that ended with Katelynn Tupponce playing a good through pass for Alexandra  Doller. BUSA goalkeeper Schyler Arnold rushed off her line alertly to gather the ball before Doller could reach it. The Arizonans did break through with a goal near the end of the half however; as Doller fed Mackenzie Semerad with a pass on the right, and Semerad hit a well-placed shot inside the far post to level the score at 1-1 going to the break.

Doller continued her strong work on the ball for Kim Byrnes’ Arizonans, running down the left and then cutting a neat pass back for Alexandra Morrison, Morrison’s well-struck volley was denied by the agile Arnold in goal, and the match remained even. Doller was then on the receiving end of a cross from Jessica Schafer in front of goal as the wind began to blow harder, but the effort went over the bar.

The wind played a major part in the go-ahead goal for SC del Sol. Rice sent a goal kick downfield and it was helped along toward the BUSA goal by a defensive header. The ball landed in no-man’s land and Semerad got to it before anyone else, sliding it across the goalline for a 2-1 SC del Sol lead.

Doller then collected a ball in the BUSA area from a long serve, and put on a nifty turn before firing a hard shot that Arnold did well to save. On the other end, BUSA appeared to have gotten the goal back when Steyn made a good move around a defender and then rounded the goalkeeper, going wide left in the process. Her shot from a sharp angle was definitely goalbound but SC del Sol defender Samantha Weber raced to the goalline and somehow kept the shot out of net, preserving the lead for the Arizonans.

The final goal of the match again came off the foot of Semerad, who completed her hat trick from a corner, although her serve may have had some help from a BUSA defender before going into the back of the net. Both teams finish the weekend at 2-1-0.

 

Click HERE for coverage of Day 1 and Day 2 of the Eclipse Challenge Cup and opening weekend of ECNL play.

 

Sunday ECNL Scores (courtesy Elite Clubs National League)

U15

Eclipse Select 2, St. Louis Scott Gallagher 1

Colorado Rush 3, Irvine Strikers 0

Birmingham United 1, Virginia Rush 0

SC Del Sol 1, FC Milwaukee 1

U16

Eclipse Select 3, St. Louis Scott Gallagher 1

Colorado Rush 4, Birmingham United 0

Irvine Strikers 2, Virginia Rush 2

SC Del Sol 3, FC Milwaukee 2

U17

Colorado Rush 6, Eclipse Select 2

FC Milwaukee 2, Irvine Strikers 2

St. Louis Scott Gallagher 5, Virginia Rush 1

SC Del Sol 3, Birmingham United 1

 

Sunday Challenge Cup Scores (courtesy Eclipse Select)

U13 Girls

Quarterfinals

Sting Royal 3, Ohio Elite 1

Minnesota Thunder 5, Stars of Massachusetts 1

Carmel United 1, St. Louis Scott Gallagher 0

Sting Dallas 2, Vardar 1

Semifinals

Sting Dallas 2, Minnesota Thunder 1

Carmel United 2, Sting Royal 1

Final

Stopped by a thunderstorm with Sting Dallas leading 2-0 over Carmel United.

 

U14 Girls

Semifinals

Carmel United 5, Ohio Premier 2

Sockers FC 2, PDA Slammers 1

 

Final: Stopped by a thunderstorm in the first half with the score Carmel United 0, Sockers FC 0.